Szeth on a Skateboard (College AU)
by Stingythefish
Summary: Szeth accidentally kills Gavilar with his rad boarding skills


Szeth Sampson Valentino, dropout of Shinovar High School, wore white on the day he was to skate a board. The white clothing wasn't really a tradition or anything. He just liked how it looked. It matched the skateboard, so he wore it.

He was chilling outside U of R—the University of Roshar—his board resting comfortably under his arm. Around him, students without a class to go to milled about the grassy fields of the university, unconcerned with him or his rad looking board. The Honorboard, he liked to call it. Decorated with complicated glyph-like patterns, it was what gave him his powers—powers to skate. He'd been forced to drop out of Shinovar High School for the mere fact that he'd mastered the board (well, also because he'd been skating indoors for the tenth time that week, but he liked to think it was because he was master of the board). Now he attended U of R, his fellow students blissfully unaware of his raw skill. They enjoyed the weather, while Szeth simply sat, waiting.

_It's time._

Bringing himself to his feet, Szeth strode across the quad, board under arm, passing unconcerned students. They thought him some average, unexciting amateur. How wrong they were. Szeth bore a curse, that of one who has mastered the board. Which such raw skills, to display them in public would nearly be enough to kill any who witnessed it—and here Szeth was, about to do just that. It pained him to have to expose these innocent students to his Honorboard, but the rules of truth and dare were sacred, and Eshonai had included in her dare the necessity of "showing off" to as many people as possible. Szeth had no choice but to unleash his full capabilities.

His feet took him to the edge of the sidewalk. Cars were rare here in the heart of the university campus, and those that did drive by weren't nearly fast enough to be of any danger to jaywalkers. Glancing both directions, Szeth noted the empty roadway. Ideal conditions. Behind him, a plethora of students sat around, more than fulfilling the required audience conditions. There would be no small number of casualties on this day.

Szeth breathed deeply of the fresh air, the oxygen almost a fuel for his board mastery. With one swift movement, he placed the Honorboard on the ground and rested his foot atop it. He didn't look, but he could tell at least a few students had paused to watch from listening to the dying down of nearby conversations. _They are looking,_ he reflected grimly. It would be the last thing many of them would do.

Without warning, Szeth took off. His skateboard ripped down the sidewalk, the noise like the rushing of wind. Almost like a bullet he zoomed along the path, students being shoved mercilessly out of the way. Though he did not wish to see them hurt, Szeth did as he was dared, cutting through any obstacles, whether they were human or object. Already he could tell he was racking up casualties, and he had yet to even display anything close to full mastery.

Performing a standard ollie, he landed on the hard asphalt, the sound of his Honorboard changing, like he was now playing a different instrument. The tune remained the same, though. Conversations died off completely as he flew by, the wind billowing his clothing. Szeth did not allow himself to watch them die. Doing so might have been more respectful, but he knew if he did his skating mastery would suffer as a result. Szeth's foot gave him extra boosts, his speed now so accelerated that he suspected he was reaching highway speeds. He very nearly slammed straight into a passing car, his skating instincts kicking in and moving his body almost on its own to swerve out of the way. Any honking the car might have given were far and gone as Szeth shot onwards, a rocket on the road, the university a blur around him. Likely he'd already killed hundreds, their bodies mere smudges in the corners of his vision. But it was better to do this quickly. Eshonai had decided a goal for him; the quicker he reached it, the better.

Distantly, he noticed his surroundings morphing from the familiar buildings of the university into a more suburban environment. Houses flew by, and Szeth recognized he was now on a residential street, though the realization was likely only one someone with skate mastery such as himself would be able to perceive. He could barely make out anything clear around him, with the speeds he was traveling at. In that, there was perhaps some good. At least he wouldn't be able to tell who his display was killing if he couldn't really see it happening.

Almost forgetting the mass genocide he was committing, Szeth decided to do some tricks. With lithe, graceful movements, he performed like a dancer, his Honorboard and him working almost like one being to express a show of beauty none could or would see. His years of training at Shinovar High returned to him as he boarded, tricks and techniques flowing out of him as easily and simply as though he were painting a picture. The world seemed to dissolve away from him as he moved with the elegance of a ballerina, his skate mastery coming out in full force.

Then, he saw the car.

It came almost too late for him to react. A large black SUV, it seemed to barrel down the roadway, a knife cutting through Szeth's concentration. Was this it? Was this his destination? Szeth's eyes narrowed on the driver. Yes, indeed—it was Gavilar Kholin, the man who Eshonai had said would be driving along this road today. Szeth was to skate _over_ the car as the end of his dare. It had seemed impossible to Eshonai, but Szeth had attested to his skills. He could get it done. And so he would.

Readying himself, Szeth's eyes trained on Gavilar. The man was distracted, attempting to read something on his phone. Perfect. He wouldn't try to dodge out of the way, potentially ruining the trick. Szeth could envision it in his mind. An ollie onto the hood of the car, a cartwheel off the windshield, some dazzling show-offish techniques with the Honorboard, and a smooth landing behind the SUV. It was hardly the most difficult move he'd ever attempted before. This was easy, simple. He could do this with his eyes closed. No problem—

His Honorboard hit a pebble.

Szeth pitched forward in reaction to the sudden jerking of his board. Trying to recover, he pulled his body backwards, attempting to regain control over the situation. However, his board pulled free of the pebble as Szeth jerked back, and in reaction to his backwards momentum, the Honorboard shot forward, flying free of his feet. It glided through the air, clearing the hood of the SUV and slamming into the windshield.

A terrified Gavilar reacted late as the board continued on over the roof of the car. With hurried movements, Gavilar dropped his phone and gripped the wheel with both hands, swerving out of the way of Szeth, who was still in the process of falling back onto the pavement.

A terrible crash echoed through the air. Pain shot through Szeth's hands as he caught himself on his way down, but he ignored it, his eyes unable to leave the SUV wrapped around a nearby lamppost. For one horrifying moment, Szeth couldn't move. All he could do was stare at the now motionless car, hoping he hadn't yet added another name to the list of those he'd killed.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Absently, Szeth pulled it out, and had to read it several times over before he registered Eshonai's message: "Did you do the dare yet?"

With shaky fingers, Szeth typed a reply. "Uh…yes."

Slipping the phone back into his pocket, he grabbed his Honorboard and skated away. _I'm…just going to pretend that never happened._


End file.
